Opinion 2024 AFL Draft - Nights 1 & 2, from 7pm AEST

[Bloods86]

Mod Notice:

If you have an issue with the Bowman selection have the curtesy to not stink up the kids first AFL thread. That's what this thread is for.

Absolutely. They are Swans now and deserve nothing but a warm welcome. Hopefully they become guns.

But I'll happily blast our needs analysis and strategy here, like in 2022.

 

[Donza]

No we draft a 18yr old defender tonight develops well and takes his place in 2026 at 20yrs old.

Sweet.
How's the success ratio on top 20 picks becoming key defenders at age 20?
Besides a couple of outliers.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

I can't either to be honest. We usually convert a forward.

Its Logan isnt it

 

[LukeParkerno1]

So close to Hynes but still got my Day-Wicks type in Bowman.

Shake hands on a draw?

Thrilled we didn’t get Hynes and I love Dattoli. Somewhat okay with second pick it’s a need but just wonder whether it was early but it’s a need

 

[caesar88]

and I am upset we have done nothing to address our clearance issues. Make the Grand Final again and the same thing will happen again.

What did you want us to do? Draft an 18 year old midfielder rated for their contested strength and clearance-winning? Like Isaac Heeney in 2014, Callum Mills in 2015, James Rowbottom in 2018, Chad Warner in 2019...

We can't exactly say our recruiting team haven't done their bit in this regard.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Sweet.
How's the success ratio on top 20 picks becoming key defenders at age 20?
Besides a couple of outliers.

Well for us zero cause we dont give them a chance

 

[LukeParkerno1]

Not even close, maybe 6th most needed, just refuse to play guys there

Let’s hope by drafting one Horse has woken up- play another one

 

[RUNVS]

No we draft a 18yr old defender tonight develops well and takes his place in 2026 at 20yrs old.

Yep, but I am sure according to Beatson the 2021 or 2022 drafts did not have any key talls we liked.

 

[Ticky009]

Its Logan isnt it

If he stays then yeah.

 

[Jeffers]

lol Logan will not be a backman. He’s the CHF we need to really come on next year.

 

[MightyBloods]

My thoughts from night one...

Dattoli - Cannot stress enough how much I love this pick. Small forwards are now as important in the modern game as key forwards or key defenders or inside midfielders. We have a number of candidates that can play such a role, but none with proven elite form in that role. So stoked about this one.

Bowman - Meh. My first thought was "sounds like Hayward and one is bad enough" (I'm not a Hayward fan - don't shoot me!) But on reflection I think it's okay, and maybe if he comes good he can even keep pressure on Hayward for spots. I hope this kid has good pressure, as that's something I think we definitely need more of, but I'd still have preferred us take a chance on one of the talls.

Us not picking tall forwards - Not sure why everyone is giving our recruitment staff flack for doing exactly what seemingly every other club did: not rate Armstrong, Shanahan or the Whitlocks enough to use an early pick on them. It's not like we overlooked them in the top ten.

Would like to see us add key defenders or hard pressure mids tomorrow.

Well one thing is for sure. They both bring X-factor and should give us some exciting moments however successful they are.

 

[Cadsky]

At the end of the day, you don't draft for now but for the future. No one in this draft would impact a H&A game let alone a final. We gave up on next year at the trade table

Apparently we tried late for Joe Richards as well as Garcia. Can't say we didn't try to address next season, it just didn't fall our way. Doesn't really matter with the maestro at the helm anyway, next season is a write off regardless.

 

[Donza]

Logan looked nowhere near it down back

Neither did Tom.

Yet here we're are.

Paddy went #1 as a key forward.

Reg . What a pivot from forward to defense.

Etc etc

 

[SSwans2011]

I'd argue it was their supply to the forwards that was elite and basically uncontested that did it

Definitely part of it. The midfield was evidently the biggest issue.

But Rayner and Ah Chee's strength one-on-one definitely hurt us. They had 2 contested marks each and if you have 2 players doing that on top of your key forwards it will create massive headaches for opposition defences. Ah Chee was arguably the best player of the finals series.

Having more options that can take marks inside 50 will help cover the deficiencies of our key forwards as well, perhaps allowing us the flexibility to play 2 instead of 3.

 

[Bandicoot]

12.3 disposals and 18 goals across 10 games Fox has made him sound like a absolute no hoper.

Decent enough stats.

That should equate to around 5.3 disposals and 8 goals in 10 AFL games.

 

[Bloods86]

Let’s hope by drafting one Horse has woken up- play another one

Cleary spends the year in the VFL, Campbell takes a step towards asking for a trade, all because we refuse to see what's in front of us.

 

[Caj]

You see a player you like that you think is going to be a gun aerialist you pick him who cares if it's not where content creators say

Stuff the crowd you need to back yourself

That’s correct, however our track record with that philosophy has been extremely poor

 

[RUNVS]

What did you want us to do? Draft an 18 year old midfielder rated for their contested strength and clearance-winning? Like Isaac Heeney in 2014, Callum Mills in 2015, James Rowbottom in 2018, Chad Warner in 2019...

We can't exactly say our recruiting team haven't done their bit in this regard.

and yet we continue to lose the clearances in the big games, where the opposition gets the ball our easily and delivers the ball into their forward line very cleanly. For years Longmire refused to even play Mills and Heeney in the forward line, Rowbottom is more of a inside mid who also tags and Warner does better when he is the first player handballed to in the centre, rather than the player who gets the ball in the centre.

 

[Bloods86]

Neither did Tom.

Yet here we're are.

Paddy went #1 as a key forward.

Reg . What a pivot from forward to defense.

Etc etc

Tmac looked pretty good for a young guy as soon as he went back...

 

[Donza]

lol Logan will not be a backman. He’s the CHF we need to really come on next year.

Could easily play hybrid.

Swans playing 3 talls down forward is dead imo.

I think the hierarchy want more , smaller avenues to goal.

Without waiting on their midfield to kick a bag.

Especially if Chad is gone

 

[Wheresbuddy]

Watch us play Bowman as a HB.........

 

[Kbroome]

Thrilled we didn’t get Hynes and I love Dattoli. Somewhat okay with second pick it’s a need but just wonder whether it was early but it’s a need

In agreeance with you, okay with Bowman's height and role but we left Shanahan on the table. They must think highly of Chamberlain

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

That should equate to around 5.3 disposals and 8 goals in 10 AFL games.

Look i agree he could of been taken later but it is what it is.

 

[melbournehammer]

honestly I’m done.

Why do we think we are so smart.

FFS

It’s like we picked chad warner and every pick thereafter is to reach for some guy that no one has heard of so we can replicate that feat.

I reckon we were hoping someone would give us a f1 and a pick in 50s and that’s where we were

 

[caesar88]

and yet we continue to lose the clearances in the big games, where the opposition gets the ball our easily and delivers the ball into their forward line very cleanly. For years Longmire refused to even play Mills and Heeney in the forward line, Rowbottom is more of a inside mid who also tags and Warner does better when he is the first player handballed to in the centre, rather than the player who gets the ball in the centre.

My point though is that you criticise our recruiters not addressing our clearance issues, but I'd argue they have. Go back and look at the junior profiles of any of those players and our recruiters undoubtedly gave us players perfectly-suited to fix our clearance issues.